This Blog has been created for the sole purpose of sharing great ideas for Sneals and high quality meals.

The Rules:

Sneals must be within 60 to 250 calories.  They must be as close to equal carbs to protein ratio but remember that it has to be LEAN.

or

it can be just a Lean Protein.

A meal must be 250 to 400 calories and be in the same quality as a sneal.

Try and make the instructions as simple as possible.  These menus are to help everyone live a healthy lifestyle, lose weight, maintain weight, and feel GREAT!!

MIracle Noodle Recipe:

This ultra-quick dish is a delicious variation on the classic late-night
Roman staple, spaghettata  (Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil) that can be
thrown together from ingredients you may normally keep in your pantry and
fridge.

Preparation time: five minutes

Cooking time:  five minutes

1 bag Miracle Noodles angel hair,

1  6- or 7-ounce can or jar of tuna  in olive oil  (preferably Italian
tuna in extra virgin oil, but supermarket brands like Progresso or Genova
are fine. Solid or chunk light tuna is tastier than solid white, which
tends to be dry.)

Chopped or pressed garlic to taste 1 tsp to 2 tbsps (fresh is best, but
chopped garlic from a jar is fine)

½ to 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (or if you must, 2-3 tbsps of
dried chopped parsley)

1 tbsp capers (optional)

Black pepper or hot red pepper flakes to taste

Extra virgin olive oil or lemon flavored olive oil (optional)

Salt to taste

1.       Prepare the Miracle Noodles according to package directions.

2.       Open the tuna can and drain the olive oil from the can into a
saute or frying pan.  Put the tuna in a bowl and flake it with a fork.

3.       Add chopped garlic  to the pan and stir over medium heat until
golden. Add parsley and capers; stir until parsley begins to wilt. Stir in
the black or red pepper.

4.       Add a splash (about ½ to 1 tbsp) of extra virgin olive oil or,
preferably, lemon-infused olive oil (sometimes called citron oil), then
add the flaked tuna, stirring for a minute or two until heated. If the pan
seems dry, add a bit more oil.

5.        Taste for salt and add a pinch if needed.  The tuna and the
capers are salty, so you won’t need much and if you have used capers
preserved in salt, you can probably omit it.

6.       Toss with Miracle Noodles in a bowl, or add the noodles to the
pan and toss over low heat. Serve immediately.

Variations:

For a one-pot, highly nutritious meal, increase the amount of garlic and
omit the parsley. Instead, add ½ to 1 bunch of chopped raw kale, Swiss
chard or spinach (with stems removed) in step 3; it will take a minute or
two longer to wilt than the parsley.  A shake or two of hot red pepper
flakes and lemon-flavored oil are particularly good with these greens. (My
preference is for the chard or kale, which have a milder taste that blends
well with the tuna.)

Or, add cut-up green beans, lightly steamed and drained, to the pan with
the parsley. (Lemon-flavored oil really adds to this version).

For a more piquant flavor, add 1 or 2 tbsps  chopped sun-dried tomatoes
along with the parsley, and omit the lemon olive oil.

YUMMY!!! You can get the Miracle Noodles at www.Carbessentials.net.  So lets break this one down into it’s nutrition.

It has protein from the Tuna.  It has a very good fat in the extra virgin olive oil.

The veggies are awesome in just great vitamins and minerals and are an excellent carbohydrate.  

The Miracle noodles are an amazing product because they are almost zero calories and they are a great source of fiber.

 

The Low Sodium Controversy

There has been a recent surge in the media/press about sodium intake in our American nutrition/diet. First what I am going to do is explain exactly what sodium is versus salt. Second I will give you what the medical and governmental guidelines are for what the human body requires and what we actually get from American foods. Then there are some confusing definitions by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on what is Low Sodium versus Very Low Sodium versus Reduced Sodium.

Sodium is an essential mineral and electrolyte (essential chemical) in human cellular function. It is used in every body organ and system and you could not function and yes you could possibly get very sick or die if your sodium levels rapidly change. But the body is very good at maintaining its sodium balance. There are human populations in Brazil that live on an extremely small amount of sodium. As well as in Japan some of the island populations consume over 10 grams of sodium and do just fine. If the body is healthy it will compensate and adjust. What I am trying to say here is that sodium is very important to human life. When consumed in moderation (Americans never do anything in moderation) sodium is an essential part of a healthy diet.

There has been a lot of controversy over sodium intakes in America since as far back as the 1960’s and 1970’s. Sodium and salt have been vilified as the scourge of society. There have been medical studies that say it’s a bad, bad, bad thing and you need to avoid it like the plague. Then there will be another study that says that it is fine and that all the bad press is bunk.

Recently (2010) more detailed studies show that in the amount of sodium that we consume in this country with all the other compounding medical stressors that we are developing (i.e., Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney Disease, and many more) we as a population are doing ourselves harm. Most recently the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have strongly recommended that we limit our intake of sodium in our diets.

The Recommended Daily Allowance for sodium is 1,500 mg per day, believe it or not, that equates to 1 teaspoon of salt per day. “Did that just say 1 teaspoon a day!?” When you really analyze what we as Americans get in our daily intake of sodium it on average is 3 to 5 times that. Sodium is in almost everything we eat.

What all these current studies are finding is that if we limit our sodium intake it decreases the chances of developing many diseases. The restrictions of 1,500 mg of sodium per day is especially important in the elderly and people with chronic medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, and many others.

If you look at food labels they will infer that we consume a diet with an average of 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

“So much confusion! Just simplify it for me and give me some basic guidelines Doctor!!”

So here you go:

If you are elderly (I’m not touching that one), an African American Man,

or if you have major medical issues as listed above

You should probably try to monitor your sodium intake and do your best to keep around 1,500 mg per day.

If you are otherwise a healthy adult (18 to 65ish) you really do not have to worry too much. But don’t think that you are invincible and that nothing is going to hurt you.

If I had to give you a recommendation I would still keep your sodium intake under 2,500 mg. Even that will be considered pretty low sodium compared to what most of us normally get on a daily basis.

Now to the definition of what is “Low Sodium”. The FDA has some rather complicated terms and definitions for how the quantify the amount of sodium in foods. Below what I have done is to simplify it into plain English:

SALT/SODIUM FREE: less than 5 mg per labeled serving

VERY LOW SODIUM: 35 mg or less per serving

LOW SODIUM: 140 mg or less per serving

REDUCED or LESS SODIUM: 25% or less sodium than a similar food

LIGHT SODIUM: if food is “Low Calorie” and “Low Fat” sodium is reduced by 50%

Or if sodium is reduced by at least 50% then comparable food.

You see it can get quite complicated. What we have decided to do with all of our Sneals at Carbessentials is to identify all that have 140 mg of sodium or less. You can already find these sneals on-line at www.Carbessentials.net. On the left hand side of the screen you will see a new button that says, “Low Sodium Sneal”, if you click on that button you will only see Sneals that are designated as low in sodium (140 mg or less).

I hope you can appreciate the hard work that goes into providing to our patients/customers the absolute best quality nutrition in Quick, Convenient, Portable Single Serving, High Quality Morsels of Food that we lovingly call Sneals. Then what we have done is to go above and beyond and take over 1,000 products isolate them out into specialized categories is truly a labor of love. We now have the following categories:

Low Sugar Sneals

Low Sodium Sneals

Fiber Sneals

Caffeinated Sneals

Gluten Free Sneals

Lactose Free Sneals

Soy Free Sneals

Vegetarian Sneals

Kosher Sneals

Whey Only Sneals

I hope all this makes sense to you. Remember that you can follow us @:

www.Physiciansplan.net see the featured articles by Dr. Powell

www.Carbesentials.net see the featured articles by Dr. Powell

www.twitter.com/Carbessentials

www.twitter.com/ppwmmc

Facebook become a fan of Carbessentials

Facebook become a fan of Physicians Plan Weight Management and Facial Aesthetics

I love to write and educate so please check in on a regular basis and you will see something new. Remember I am the “purchasing agent” and I am always looking for and finding new and unique products that fit the definition of a Sneal. We add many new products to the store every month.

Hippocrates (the founding father of medicine) said,  “Make your food your medicine”. That is an incredibly intuitive statement for anyone to say but to think that he was alive over 2,000 years ago even makes it more powerful.

Dr. Ray Powell, MD

Medical Director

“Eat Right, Live Right, Feel Right”

“The Easy Way to Eat Right”

There is so much confusion about what is Low Carb or Net Carbs or Low Sugar. There is no set definition by the FDA for Low Carbohydrates. There is a specific definition for Low Sodium and Very Low Sodium but not for carbohydrates.

So here is our concept on carbohydrates at Carbessentials.net.

On a label you will have Carbohydrates listed. Underneath that, indented, are the items that make up the carbohydrates. There will be sugars, sugar alcohols, and fiber. Net Carbs is when you take the Total Carbohydrates and subtract the items that do not affect blood sugars. This will be the fiber and the sugar alcohols and what is left are the Net Carbs. Net Carbs affect blood sugars.

Example Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Sugars: 12 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Sugar Alcohols: 5 grams
Net Carbs = 20 grams - (3F + 5SA) = 12 grams net carbs.

It can get rather complicated and the more math you have to do the more complicated it becomes.

But what if all the numbers underneath the Total Carbohydrates do not add up to the totals?  That is when it gets even more confusing. I talked to one of the nutritional manufacturers we use and he explained it like this.  There are other items within the carbohydrate family that are not required to be listed if they don’t add up to an appreciable amount (greater than 1 gram).  There can be several of these items and they can add up to several grams of carbohydrates but they are not required to be listed.  These are carbohydrates that do not affect your blood sugars.  Examples of these type of ingredients are sugar alcohols, glycerin, tapioca starch, potato starch, and I am sure many more.

So what we have done at Carbessentials is culled out all of our products that have 5 grams of sugar or less. So when you see the Low Sugar list you will know that it means: 5 grams of sugar or less.

These specialty lists that we have created truly put Carbessentials.net at a higher level than any other      on-line nutritional site. It is a labor of love for us.

These are being added to the Carbessentials.net website under the heading of Low Sugar Sneals.

CarbEssentials was opened in early 2003 by Raymond Powell, MD and his wife Dominique Powell. Dr. Powell, a board certified bariatrician, has treated thousands of medical weight loss patients in his clinics and is always looking for high-quality, nutritional products to help his patients achieve their goals.

This search takes Dr. Powell all over the United States. He personally selects each product sold in his stores to ensure that they meet his strict nutrition criteria. A majority of the products are medical grade, but a growing number of products are from the sports nutrition and unique niche industries. All products are taste tested by his family, employees and patients.

Dr. Ray Powell also treats a growing number of patients who have had or about to have Gastric Bypass surgery and for those that are beginning to regain their weight back. He also consults with many other Gastric Bypass patients who are confused about what they should eat and take as supplements to get adequate nutrition while keeping their weight down. He has spent countless hours researching companies offering specialized products for weight loss patients. These low to moderate carbohydrates, low fat products are also available to the public and are excellent nutritional products for anyone, whether you have had Gastric Bypass surgery, trying to lose weight, or just looking for great nutrition.

Whether you are a medical weight loss patient just trying to lose a few pounds, or an athlete trying to optimize your diet, try our low to moderate carb, low-fat, high-protein, nutritional items. CarbEssentials and the Sneal - a better healthy weight loss solution.

I was amazed when I looked at myself when I was 38 years old and I was 250 pounds. I was at least 75 pounds over weight. I hated myself. I looked at my wife and wondered,  ”how she could have been attracted to me when I was so fat.” My back was always killing me and I could not even keep up with my 5 kids.

I was in my second year of my Emergency Medicine Residency. Yes, a doctor who is morbidly obese. How can that happen? Aren’t doctors supposed to know how to stay healthy? Aren’t doctors taught everything there is about nutrition?

The reality of it is that I, like most of us, had been hit with multiple stressors over several years. To include becoming a disabled United States Air Force Veteran, a herniated L5-S1 vertebral disc, a reconstructed ankle, getting divorced and remarried, moving from Charleston, South Carolina to Lubbock, Texas, starting medical school, graduating after 4 years of grueling school and then moving to Columbia, South Carolina and at this point in time 2 years of grueling Emergency Medicine Residency and the birth of two of my 6 total children. There were a lot of great times and some very hard times. But life as we all live it is never stress free. When we are stressed two things immediately get pushed aside, how we eat or how feed us and how we “move our bodies” (exercise).

As I looked at myself in the mirror one day and said, “I can’t do this anymore.” I realized after 6 years of medical training I had no clue what to do about my nutrition. Should I do a “Low-Carb Diet”?. Should I do a “Low-Fat Diet”?. Should I do a “High-Protein Diet”?. Most doctor, according to a recent Congressional hearing, get less than 3 hours of nutritional education in their entire 4 years of medical training. Most people spend that amount of time watching TV each and every day!!! So I tried Atkins (Low Carb), Sugar-Busters, Slim Fast, The Zone and essentially lost a little bit of weight but then put it right back on.

I started to learn and research everything I could find about nutrition and the science of Obesity and how to treat it. Yes, OBESITY, that is what I have as a diagnosis. I will always have it. Obesity has been defined by just about every medical organization including the World Health Organization as a Chronic Relapsing Medical Disease and I have it.

As I start these Podcasts/Blogs I will explain to you the concepts I have learned about treating myself and thousands of patients for Obesity. The science of nutrition, what is the right combination of Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. How much and when should your nutrition be eaten. It is not as easy and many people think. If it was we would not have a country and world that has become obese.

After I realized how little I knew about my own nutrition and treating patients for Obesity for several years. I realized that all these patients had one thing in common. They need to be shown what, when, and how to eat. For myself as well as my patients there were several common themes. Not eating often enough, Not eating enough, and a term called Food Amnesia. The beginning of my concept for “CarbEssentials” was born.

Read On!!.

The following is an internet interview that I did for a Mount Shasta Newspaper

Hi Dr. Powell,

Thanks so much for the interview! I’m planning to write a feature article about keeping New Year’s resolutions, and wanted your input in the losing weight section.

How many people have you helped to meet their weight loss goals?

Between my father, Dr. Richard J. Powell, MD and myself we have been practicing Bariatrics (medical treatment of Obesity as a disease) for over 35 years.  I have 4 offices and we see several hundred patients per week.

Why is it important/helpful to be under a physician’s care when losing weight?

Managing your weight is a complex task and depending on a persons initial weight and underlying medical conditions it can be medically dangerous to do it on your own.  There are thousands of diets out there and probably more than half of them are crazy and dangerous.  Whether a person has to lose 20 pounds or 200 pounds I would much rather have a person come in and have it medically managed than to do some crazy over the counter Fad diet that can be medically dangerous.

Is diet or excercise more important for those wanting to make a healthy change in their lives? Or are they equally important?

Exercise is very important for a persons cardiovascular health as well as their mental health.  For weight loss the exercise would have to be very aggressive and almost every day for it to effect your weight.  It should be continued if the person is doing it.  The change in nutritional behaviors and becoming “in-control” of one’s nutrition and being educated on what you are actually putting into your body and actually eating higher quality nutrition in smaller amounts more often is critical to keep the metabolism going.  One of the most critical item I see on a daily basis is that people don’t eat all day long and then they tend to overeat.

What is the one tip you would give to those wanting to lose weight in the new year?

Take the time to take care of yourself.  Start spending more time taking care of yourself then you do on your car.  Don’t start on some dangerous fad diet.  If you plan on changing your nutrition drastically seek medical advice.

What is your opinion on th e value of Nintendo’s Wii Fit? (I was considering adding a bit about it into the article).

We have one and it is AWESOME.  Our whole family uses it.  Of course the kids are a bit better at it then us adults.  It is the next generation in video gaming where you actually interact in a physical sense.  I recommend it to the parents of my teenage patients.  It was actually mentioned in lectures at the America Society of Bariatric Physicians in Tampa Florida in October of 2008.

What programs do you offer at the Mount Shasta office?

We offer medically directed programs that follow the guidelines of the National Institute of Health and the American Society of Bariatric Physicians.  We individually customize our programs around the patients medical conditions.  Our programs range from very aggressive Very Low Calorie Nutritional plans to Low Calorie programs.  One of my concepts is that of the “SNEAL”.  It is too long to describe here but please go to my blogs at www.Physiciansplan.net and I have a complete description of a SNEAL.

Plus… a few motivational statistics regarding weight loss… and anything else you think is of interest.

A 10% weight loss is a 57% reduction in risk for medical diseases directly related to weight (high blood pressure, diabetes, cancers, stroke, and many more)

A 10 pound weight loss take 100 pounds per square inch off of your knees.

A very famous statement that I think most of us have either forgotten or never heard is, “Make Your Food Your Medicine”  What an incredible statement.  What we have done is made our food our Poison.  The person who said, “Make Your Food Your Medicine”—–Hippocrates—over 2,000 years ago and we still haven’t figured it out.

Here one of mine, ” The Cure for Hunger is——FOOD!!!”

You need to learn to “SNEAL” (my word) See www.Snealtime.com.  You need to learn to find Quick, Conveinent, High Quality, Single-Serving, Tasty morsels of Food.  It is NOT a snack.  Refer to my previous blogs on my website:

www.Snealtime.com

www.Physiciansplan.net

www.Carbessentials.net

Initially quite often the patients we treat want to have their nutrition taken away from them Temporarily and that is why we have several different aggressive plans where we supplement them with “SNEALS” of our own. We sell tham at each office and we have three separate nutritional stores (Redding, Chico, and on-line @www.Carbessentials.net.

If you’d like to do the interview via phone, that would be great… my number at the office is ——–. I’ll be in most of tomorrow between 8:30 and 2 or so (I know it’s a holiday, so that might not work for you). I’ll also be in and out on Friday and Monday.

I am having an Epidural injection in my back (yeah me) on Friday morning and i will be home the rest of the day.  E-mail me a number that I can reach you on Friday and I will call you.

If hours during the evening are good for you, my cell number is ——–. Or email me a time, and I can call you then. Or, we could do it via email if you’re pressed for time.

Talk to you soon.  I hope this helps

What is Metabolic syndrome?

Screening and diagnosis

Although your doctor is not typically looking for “metabolic syndrome,” the label may apply if you have three or more of the traits associated with this condition. Several organizations have criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. These guidelines were created by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) with modifications by the American Heart Association. According to these guidelines, you have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of these traits:

§ Elevated waist circumference, greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. For people genetically at greater risk of diabetes, the circumference limit is slightly lower; 31 to 35 inches for women and 37 to 39 inches for men.

§ Elevated level of triglycerides of 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher, or you’re receiving treatment for high triglycerides.

§ Reduced HDL (less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women) or you’re receiving treatment for low HDL.

§ Elevated blood pressure of 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) systolic (the top number) or higher or 85 (mm Hg) diastolic (the bottom number) or higher, or you’re receiving treatment for high blood pressure.

§ Elevated fasting blood sugar (blood glucose) of 100 mg/dL or higher, or you’re receiving treatment for high blood sugar.

Treatment

Tackling one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome is tough, taking on all of them might seem overwhelming. But aggressive lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication can improve all of the metabolic syndrome components. Getting more physical activity, losing weight and quitting smoking help reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels. These changes are key to reducing your risk.

Exercise. Doctors recommend getting 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, every day.

Lose weight. Losing as little as 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can reduce insulin levels and blood pressure and decrease your risk of diabetes.

Stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes increases insulin resistance and worsens the health consequences of metabolic syndrome. Talk to your doctor if you need help kicking the cigarette habit.

Work with your doctor to monitor your weight and your blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure levels to ensure that lifestyle modifications are working. If you’re not able to achieve your goals with lifestyle changes, your doctor may also prescribe medications to lower blood pressure, control cholesterol or help you lose weight. Insulin sensitizers may be prescribed to help your body use insulin more effectively. Aspirin therapy may help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Take our Metabolic Syndrome Test.

The Definition of a Sneal

The word Sneal is a new word that yours truly (Dr. Ray Powell) came up with to describe a new way of eating and a way of describing the quality of nutrition to my patients. I use the word as a test with my patients/staff/practitioners to see if they are learning something and WE as a total team effort are teaching them something as they go through our programs from weight loss to weight maintenance.

I want them to learn that from this time forward a “Snack” is a dirty word and should never be used again. It is a dangerous concept created by the American Food Industry. “Snacking” is what has made the American population as overweight and obese as it is.

So the first thing I need to do is define a SNACK,

The “American SNACK” is usually an American “white carbohydrate” (junk) and/or a fat. {Snack = Junky Carb and/or Fat}

The American food industry (grocery store) does not feed us SNEALS. They feed us snacks that have HUGE amount of calories, high in simple, white, sugary, bad carbohydrates. These jack your blood sugar through the ROOF and just to top it off they add in as much FAT as they can to make it REALLY taste good.

No more SNACKING!!!

The Physician’s Plan “SNEAL” A good carbohydrate (fruits and veggies) AND a LEAN Protein. {Sneal = Good Carb + Lean Protein}

OR

just a LEAN Protein.

{Sneal = Lean Protein}

{Range 60 to 250 calories/sneal}

SNEALING–How to do it?

When patients are first learning how to SNEAL and are in the process of losing weight they are started on very high quality SNEALS from the nutritional store that I have created for myself, my family and friends and for my patients and customers. The store is called Carbessentials, because Carbs are essential!!! But so is protein and a small amount of fat.

What I have done, essentially, is I have become the “purchasing agent” for products that fit all the requirements to become a SNEAL.

I initially started with the medical nutritional companies that provide prescription nutritional products to physicians for a medically safe weight loss. I continue to search for unique products from specialized companies that cater to a growing variety of nutritional niches. I have even tapped into the body building industry and have found some excellent products that fit my requirements perfectly.

So to review the concept again, a SNEAL is designed to be a small (60 to 250 calories), convenient, quick, easy, and high quality morsel of food that you eat every 2 to 3 hours.

It is designed in such a way nutritionally to keep the blood sugars leveled by providing the body with at least an equal amount of a complex carbohydrate and an equal amount of a very high quality lean protein or just a lean protein source if desired. What this also does is suppresses hunger and gives you more energy. People that just try to eat only high protein are not getting enough immediate energy because their bodies immediate carbohydrate stores have been depleted and if they don’t feed themselves any carbohydrates (i.e. trying to Atkins Diet) they will feel low energy and like they are running on empty.

So, SNEALING every 2 to 3 hours with nutritional products that have been hand-picked for you by someone with the scientific and medical background and intense desire to continue to learn and research nutrition is an added plus. When you look at nutritional products that are sold at the retail stores, BUYER BEWARE!!! Not all products are created equal and many of these so-called nutritional products are basically expensive looking candy bars.

So keep looking at my website, www.Carbessentials.net. I am always adding new products as I continue to find them in my journeys.

Dr. Ray Powell, MD